Study: Half of men don't go to the doctor

About half of men ages 18 to 50 don't have a primary-care physician, and a third haven't had a checkup in more than a year, a new survey shows.

In fact, about 40% of men in their 40s have never had their cholesterol tested, and 70% have never had a prostate exam, according the national survey of 519 men, commissioned by Esquire magazine (esquire.com).

"It's a stereotype about men that they don't like to go to the doctor, that they'd rather just go when there's a problem," says Ryan D'Agostino, articles editor for Esquire. "We had hoped it wasn't this true," he says, but the survey found 45% don't even have a primary-care doctor.

Men need to have a physician and go for a checkup at least once a year because "so many health care problems are because of lack of preventive care," he says. Other findings in the April issue, out today:

•75% say they get sick one to three times a year.

•39% say they could stand to lose 20 pounds or more.

•58% say they think about the healthiness of what they eat but indulge sometimes; 21% think about it at every meal; 21% say it hardly crosses their mind.

Men and their waist size:

•16% say their waist size is less than 32 inches.

•37%, between 32-34 inches.

• 19%, 35-36 inches.

•19%, 37-40 inches.

• 9%, 41 inches or more.

Source: Esquire, April issue (esquire.com)

•57% of men eat fast food one to three times a week; 33% once a month or less; 6%, never; 5% eat it daily.

•43% say they are sedentary, usually sitting while at work.

•34% say they work out two to three times a week; 19% say they never do; 19% work out daily.